Hamilton Secures First Ferrari Pole in Mexico, Antonelli Nears F1 Title

Lewis Hamilton has secured his first pole position driving for Ferrari at the Mexico City Grand Prix, marking his first pole in nearly 1,200 days. The seven-time world champion expressed his emotion after the qualifying session, stating, "Where there's a will there's a way. It's all in the mind for all of us." Hamilton, who last took pole in 2023 during his tenure with Mercedes, credited his preparation and passion for the sport.

Despite Hamilton's achievement, 20-year-old Kimi Antonelli remains the favorite to win the world title. Antonelli qualified fourth for the race, behind Hamilton, George Russell, and Charles Leclerc. He needs to finish ninth to secure the championship with four races remaining in the season.

Hamilton's 105th career pole position also made him the oldest driver to achieve this feat since Mario Andretti in 1982, who was 42 at the time. The 2026 Mexican Grand Prix qualifying session also saw other notable events, including Esteban Ocon being dropped by the Haas team for the weekend. Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu confirmed Ocon was not ill but declined to provide further details. Ryo Hirokawa, a 32-year-old Japanese driver, took Ocon's place and qualified 19th.

Fernando Alonso's session was cut short in Q1 due to a red flag caused by his Aston Martin breaking down, attributed to a water pressure problem. McLaren's Oscar Piastri faced a disappointing qualifying, falling out in Q2 and securing only 13th place on the grid, nearly a second behind teammate Lando Norris, who qualified sixth.